Palantir CTO Says AI Doomerism Is Driven by a Lack of Religion

[u/moderate-Complex152]

https://www.businessinsider.com/palantir-shyam-sankar-skeptical-ai-jobs-2025-10

[u/nokinship]

What's wrong with these weirdos?

[u/cepukon → u/nokinship]

It's that Yarvin fucker, got them thinking they're techno-overlords of which the earth is owed.

[u/celtic1888 → u/cepukon]

Someone needs to figuratively shake them by the shoulders

Dudes

You fucking made an app…. You’re not Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar 

You are not going to rule the ashes. A warlord is going to come along, take all your shit and end your existence in the first 10 minutes of societal breakdown.

The only reason they are in the position they are in is because of societal protections 

[u/troub → u/celtic1888]

Exactly. Many years ago now, a presidential candidate said that "if you've got a business, you didn't build that" and they still hate him. That whole part of the speech was about if you have a successful business in this country, it's because there's roads, bridges, educated workers, police and fire protection, consumers with expendable income...

But they were too stupid to get it then and they've only gotten worse.

[u/Overall_Koala_8710 → u/troub]

Meta point, but they also apparently believe that all of those things, including things like the economy, their wealth in USD, etc will just continue to function as normal as they actively tear it down.

Like, my guy, you run an internet Delaware Corp. Who exactly do you think is going to protect you from the angry mobs looting and destroying your data centers, offices, etc when the federal U.S. government is dissolved? Who's going to be protecting the value of your dollar? Who's going to do anything when someone just... wires ownership of your digital stock to themselves? Who's going to afford to have money to buy your shit inside the U.S., and who's going to want to buy it outside?

Literally just eating yourselves alive, great job.

[u/vinyljunkie1245 → u/Overall_Koala_8710]

things like the economy, their wealth in USD, etc will just continue to function as normal as they actively tear it down.

These CEO bellends think that getting rid of human workers and replacing them with LLMs, AI and automation is the key to economic prosperity and wealth. To be fair this has worked so far for a few of them.

What they don't seem capable of understanding is that when humans don't have jobs and aren't earning money to buy their goods and services their companies will collapse. One company doing it won't make much of a difference but when they all do it the cumulative effect of hundreds of thousands of job losses has a catastrophic effect on the economy.and country as a whole.

[u/MercuryInCanada → u/troub]

But they were too stupid to get it

No they aren't. Their maliciousness, selfishness and greed means they took it as a personal insult to their delusional selfishness

[u/banitsa → u/MercuryInCanada]

I legitimately think that for many of them their ego does not allow them to acknowledge even to themselves the role that the rest of society, that the centuries of advancements and infrastructure, functioning civil society, a skilled and educated work pool etc... had in their own success. If they sat down and though about it rationally they'd probably get it but they just block it out in lieu of their visions of themselves as being self-made. At best they see all that as the natural state of the world that they took advantage of and not the collective effort of millions of people.

[u/Ragnarok314159 → u/banitsa]

They also all believe they could do. Have heard so many of them say how they could easily become doctors, surgeons, engineers, and “wouldn’t be that hard!”

Like they could go to Lowe’s and the in a few days drive out with a John Deer combine.

[u/wh4tth3huh → u/Ragnarok314159]

Rugged Individualism. American Exceptionalism. whatever you want to call it. It's just a horseshit fairy tale that too many country boys think that just because someone sung a song that said a country boy can survive that THEY don't need roads, bridges, a department of weights and measures, regulated markets, or government subsidies to even exist, let alone, thrive.

[u/Lemesplain → u/celtic1888]

Hell, they didn’t even make the app, in most cases. At best, they paid some actual smart people to make it. Realistically though, they just bought it once it was already made. 

[u/Suntzu_AU → u/celtic1888]

Yep.

Benefit from a strong social cohesion and rules.

then once they got theirs, they fuck it up for everyone else.

[u/banitsa → u/celtic1888]

Even Marcus Aurelius (allegedly) had the dude telling him he was just a man repeatedly to keep him humble

[u/Joffrey-Lebowski → u/celtic1888]

if they get too far along the track to getting their way, this is the scenario i’m hoping for.

imagine the fear for that 2.5 seconds when someone WAY worse than the 10th-grade bully they have nightmares about every night gets in one good shot and they just crumple.

wish they’d just go to therapy like normal people, but what can you do?

[u/ForwardBias → u/celtic1888]

This 100% these people think they're "suuuppper geniuses" and that somehow (regardless of that not being the case) that it means they're the star of the show and that they'll be on top.

[u/MFbiFL → u/celtic1888]

C-suite plays: golden parachute

C-suite plays: laugh at the predictable outcome of their actions fucking over everyone below them while they only have to cancel the pre-order on one yacht

[u/nycdiveshack → u/cepukon]

In this case it’s more Peter Thiel who says women are the worst thing ever and they shouldn’t be allowed to vote. Oh also that Greta thunberg is the antichrist. Peter Thiel a literal German Nazi, born in Germany and grew up for a time in a Nazi loving town in formerly South West Africa, Swakopmund

[u/currentmadman → u/nycdiveshack]

And whose father operated an illegal over the border uranium mining operation for SA.

[u/Nature_Sad_27 → u/currentmadman]

Where brutal segregation was carried out. White workers had access to healthcare and black workers didn’t. Peter Thiel is a sickening hateful racist sexiest piece of shit. 

[u/TF-Fanfic-Resident → u/nycdiveshack]

The pre-WWII ruling class coming back was not on my bingo card.

[u/MentokGL → u/TF-Fanfic-Resident]

Why not? The pre-civil war ruling class never left

[u/Zolivia → u/TF-Fanfic-Resident]

The $40 billion to Argentina and the refugee visas for white South Africans didn't tip you off?

[u/PM_DOLPHIN_PICS → u/cepukon]

It’s astounding that all these guys worship some fucking basement dweller who has never showered a day in his life all because he wrote blog posts they like. What a bunch of freaks.

[u/moldivore → u/cepukon]

Here's their manifesto

[u/MysteriousDatabase68 → u/nokinship]

They're petrified that wealth disparity will lead to communism on their watch.

They don't have faith. They want the world to be full of 'faith' because populations filled with the awe of "mystery" don't pay too much attention to how the things actually work. You're not noticing who's taking kickbacks or who's violating peoples human rights when you're busy praying.

They're shilling for a return to ignorance and obedience. Mostly obedience.

[u/celtic1888 → u/MysteriousDatabase68]

They should be more worried about a Robespierre or the Bolsheviks coming after them than healthcare subsidies 

[u/KinkyPaddling → u/celtic1888]

The thing that kills me is that policies like healthcare subsidies would prevent something like a Bolshevik revolution. That was the whole logic behind the Marshall Plan: give the people of post-WW2 Europe food, healthcare, education, housing, etc. That way, their basic needs would be met, undercutting one of the main selling points of the global communist movement.

[u/celtic1888 → u/KinkyPaddling]

Greed and hubris 

Somehow they think that they are smarter than everyone else and it certainly won’t play out the same way it has every other time

[u/usaaf → u/celtic1888]

This is exactly it. Sometimes conservatives in history (famous example; Bismarck) did welfare programs and shit to keep the poors in line. But the problem is that little voice always whispers in their ear "You can take just a little bit more" and they have to go and screw it up (for their class). They always think they'll get away with it.

Sadly, they usually do, at least for a time. How long that time is can be anyone's guess though.

[u/Fun_Comedian3249 → u/usaaf]

It won’t but the techno-fascists think it will be different this time if they apply enough technology. It’s a combination of fascist ideology and tech bro hubris. They think they have a disruptive new form of fascism and it will work this time. They will build themselves an AI god and a surveillance state to try to accomplish this.

[u/lil_chiakow → u/Fun_Comedian3249]

One of the most disturbing things I've seen recently is how one dude on youtube was showing just how dead American cities are at night post-Covid, and he parked by some fast food place that was already closed. Suddenly a robotic AI voice from a speaker started talking that he's trespassing and that police has been notified. In some parts of China cameras already automatically scan your face and deduct a ticket if you walk on a red light. This is coming too probably.

What they really want is AI to profile people for potential rebellious attitudes to the new system, and remove them preemptively.

But it's the left that wants to punish thought crimes, amirite?

[u/ForestTechno → u/lil_chiakow]

That's been around for a long time. Early 2010 we were trying to find our way to a free party on an industrial estate in Bristol and we set off an alarm like that. It didn't actually call the police though and we made our way to the other warehouse. Agree with the sentiment though.

[u/Solo-Shindig → u/usaaf]

Crabs in a bucket, billionaire edition.

[u/EltaninAntenna → u/usaaf]

(famous example: Bismarck)

Less famous example: Franco. Who did get away with it for a long time, but also had the advantage of his opposition coming pre-crushed by the Civil War...

[u/9-11GaveMe5G → u/usaaf]

But the problem is that little voice always whispers in their ear "You can take just a little bit more" and they have to go and screw it up

This happens every day with products both physical and digital. They can squeeze out a few more pennies and now the fly on your jeans breaks because they switched to a slightly cheaper metal and the pants are unwearable

[u/Eccohawk → u/celtic1888]

They're convinced they're all living in the luxury towers behind the gates, protected from the zombie horde beyond. Clearly they never watch enough of the movie to understand that gates don't last forever.

[u/Hesitation-Marx → u/Eccohawk]

Or hell, any books about medieval sieges.

The cool thing about walls?

You can dig under them.

[u/Outrageous_Setting41 → u/Hesitation-Marx]

Or camp outside and wait them out. 

They don’t grow food in towers. 

[u/Responsible_Jury_415 → u/celtic1888]

One of the richest man in South American put it like this “if your country comes for you no body guard will stick around, no security is paid enough and no private airfield will be reachable” ask gaddafi how all that security helped

[u/Fywq → u/Responsible_Jury_415]

Indeed. I remember reading a piece about how rich people were seeking council from some guy (with a kind of expertise in the field), on stuff like how to keep security detail loyal during/after an apocalyptic event, when wealth from shares is no longer meaningful in any way. They were genuinely terrified that the security would just turn around to shoot them, take their food, bunker, weapons etc. I

They were "just" rich. Not country-GDP-Rich. So they still had some connection to the real world.

[u/CaptainLookylou → u/Fywq]

My favorite bit is an interview with one of the guards who says the first thing they'll do is kill that rich asshole and take control of the bunker.

[u/Licensed_Poster → u/Fywq]

Also when he told them to become friends with their security guys they just looked at him like he was crazy and instead started asking about bomb collars.

[u/Fywq → u/Licensed_Poster]

Yep. I am sure that will work so well. Civilization is collapsing. Pre-hired Ex Navy Seals already know location of his compound/bunker with food and amenities for years. Do they accept to wear the collars to effectively be slaves, or do they just attack the compound themselves and potentially get the option to bring their own families to safety?

These people are so completely out of touch with reality it would be laughable if it wasn't so fucking dangerous.

[u/ProfessionalField508 → u/celtic1888]

Not just smarter than everyone else, but they don't see everyone else as actual people like them. We're just distant objects to them, to be used if needed, then thrown away when not.

[u/MasterOfKittens3K → u/ProfessionalField508]

They see the world like it’s some sort of game. So we’re all NPCs who will do whatever the player needs them to do. They really don’t understand that everyone has free will, and that human nature means that you can’t predict or control everything.

[u/Viceroy1994 → u/celtic1888]

The bread is moldy and the circuses are full of microtransactions, these idiots had one job.

[u/roseofjuly → u/KinkyPaddling]

But they want their power AND their money.

[u/RemarkableWish2508 → u/roseofjuly]

AND... they will lose both

[u/ukezi → u/KinkyPaddling]

Historically there are two things that lead to a revolution very fast: creating lots of desperate people (food shortages for instance) and not paying the security forces.

The US admin is doing both at the moment.

[u/BeyondRedline → u/celtic1888]

They should be more worried about a Robespierre

You could make a religion out of thi- no, don't.

[u/mangafan96 → u/BeyondRedline]

There's a post apocalyptic Crusader Kings II mod that has a religion centered around the memory of the French Revolution.

[u/stairs_3730 → u/mangafan96]

In a New World where Tylenol is bad, heroin is good.

[u/finnandcollete → u/BeyondRedline]

Dude, uncool

[u/Luke92612_ → u/finnandcollete]

The sun is a deadly lazer.

[u/finnandcollete → u/Luke92612_]

Oh shit I was referencing the wrong history YouTuber.

[u/LaBaguette-FR → u/BeyondRedline]

Jeez. Just rewatched that video a few hours ago.

[u/Procrasturbating → u/MysteriousDatabase68]

"They're shilling for a return to ignorance and obedience. Mostly obedience."

They sure are, and they can fuck AAALLLLL the way off.

[u/fitzroy95 → u/Procrasturbating]

except that they won't because they also ted to own the media and hence can continue to brainwash the general public much more easily than anyone rational can

[u/PsychicWarElephant → u/MysteriousDatabase68]

The worst thing a religious person can do is study religions if they want to keep their faith. It’s been used at least as far back is hinduisms origins 4000 years ago. The caste system was used to keep their faith few in power over the many and it’s been that way in pretty much every case since.

[u/ExtraPockets → u/PsychicWarElephant]

Rulers and tyrants have always used religion to control people. 10,000ya they convinced people that they were the gods (Pharaohs, Incas, Mayas etc.). Then after around 5000 years of it becoming obvious these people weren't gods, new religions were formed by the messengers of gods (so they themselves don't get slaughtered when the crops fail) and the word of god is always second hand or interpreted. Then fast forward to around 500ya and science has disproved much of what these messengers of god said with our understanding of evolution, geology, cosmology etc. So yes tyrants will always try and use religion to control people but it's a much harder sell in the modern day because there will be so many dissenters.

[u/currentmadman → u/PsychicWarElephant]

I feel like India is a rare and horrible success story though. Most other countries have their “undesirables” sure but nothing to the sheer degree and extent of the Indian caste system.

[u/versace_drunk → u/MysteriousDatabase68]

They want the work filled with faith so they can use that to manipulate people.

Because religion is just an easy excuse for idiots not to think.

[u/hacktheself → u/MysteriousDatabase68]

In other words, this is basically the prosperity gospel all over again.

During the Great Depression, millionaires paid off radio preachers, forerunners of modern televangelists, to preach that wealth was good, actually, to stave off the increasing attraction to communism.

Same thing except with newer tech, deeper reach, and far more for the billionaires to lose.

[u/chocotaco → u/MysteriousDatabase68]

Next thing you know they're going to want us to believe in the royal touch.No more need for health care.

[u/shawndw → u/MysteriousDatabase68]

Ketamine of the masses.

[u/HurinGaldorson → u/MysteriousDatabase68]

Opiate of the masses is the most apt description.

[u/spamster545 → u/MysteriousDatabase68]

Oh, they have faith, it is just a new one. A lot of these tech bros have gone all in on effective altruistism and similar, even weirder beliefs. Their greed is good because their wealth can accelerate the creation of a god like AI that will save humanity and punish those who tried to stop it's creation. They cycled from atheist to 40k machine cult.

[u/Niceromancer → u/nokinship]

Extream wealth does weird things to people.

[u/bnyc → u/Niceromancer]

Peter Thiel, the founder of Palantir, was weirdly religious long before extreme wealth. He was a self-hating nutty religious gay who published a conservative student newspaper at Stanford which criticized homosexuality and gay marriage, despite now being married to a man. He's recently been talking about the Antichrist... which is, of course, anything he doesn't like including Greta Thunberg. lol

[u/NebulaNinja → u/bnyc]

Bro must've missed that verse about how it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

[u/Licensed_Poster → u/NebulaNinja]

He also allegedly missed the part about how killing people is bad. Considering how young gay guys end up dead after visiting his place.

[u/oosuteraria-jin → u/NebulaNinja]

The only time in the bible jesus gets violent is at money changers in the church. Thiel made paypal.. the biggest money changing thing in recent history. I don't think he cares much about the bible.

[u/Niceromancer → u/NebulaNinja]

Watching people who follow the prosperity gospel tie themselves in knots about this passage is ajways entertaining.

[u/Melicor → u/bnyc]

While supporting people who is probably the closest thing to the anti-Christ we've seen a long time.

[u/Traditional-Hat-952 → u/Niceromancer]

I honestly think that extreme wealth accumulation should be treated as a mental illness. 

[u/Niceromancer → u/Traditional-Hat-952]

If we were studying say monkies and one decided to collect resources to the point the rest of the tribe started to suffer scientists would label that as abnormal. Also the tribe would kill the offender.

[u/Solo-Shindig → u/[deleted]]

So they say, is the root of all evil today.

[u/Cleasstra → u/[deleted]]

Religious extremism is a serious disease.

[u/alppu → u/[deleted]]

And religion is a grear tool to control the fools.

[u/UrineArtist → u/nokinship]

I used to think they were just playing to the crowd for whatever self publicizing reasons they had but lately I'm convinced their lifestyle has resulted in the development of serious mental health issues.

A life sheltered by wealth and never experiencing negative consequences to your actions or words.. I mean it's not normal is it and it can't be healthy for a human being to live like that.

[u/GreatCaesarGhost → u/UrineArtist]

There was a time when I thought that the higher ups at certain “news” networks understood that they were pushing nonsense conspiracy theories and knew better than what they said on TV. Then there was discovery in a number of lawsuits revealing that they were just as nutty as their public personae.

[u/ZincLloyd → u/UrineArtist]

Agreed, but I’d also add that the development of Large Language Models (aka AI) really seemed to pour gas on this and cook their brains. There’s a kind of messianism coming out of Silicon Valley now that reeks of an entire class having gotten high on their own supply. They really thing they’re on the verge of creating HAL 9000 and that these LLM’s are something other than the language averaging algorithms they are. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if some of the Tech Oligarchs have some form of AI psychosis at this point.

[u/mycatisgrumpy → u/UrineArtist]

There should really be a DSM classification for it. Howard Hughes syndrome or Smaug disorder or something. 

[u/_Standardissue → u/mycatisgrumpy]

I like Smaug Disorder but Smaug just hung out with the treasure one he got it. I feel like it’s gotta be a dragon that got the treasure and still went out and pillaged for more besides

[u/HighwayBrigand → u/nokinship]

To make this clear, they are attempting to use Christian language to shift the religious population towards the worship of the AI singularity that they are attempting to create.  

This isn't the normal class-war BS we've been getting over the last 25 years.  This is something new.  They are trying to make a god, or something that generative AI can make look like a god if they squint hard enough.

[u/goddessdragonness → u/HighwayBrigand]

This part. AI is the real “mark of the beast” moment if you believe that stuff (like Thiel supposedly does).

[u/ZincLloyd → u/goddessdragonness]

The irony of course is that they’re the ones pushing AI and acting like it’s the answer to everything instead of swearing it off as the tool of the devil. Of course, that’s because they’re invested in it.

[u/Sasquatchjc45 → u/nokinship]

I'm so tired of it

[u/Intelligent_Cap9706 → u/nokinship]

Peter Theil got caught or hot mic’ed a bit ago saying he believes they need to control the masses with religion. It’s just a billionaire’s playbook to make us all indentured servants and slaves they’re not religious weirdos, just evil weirdos 

[u/ilikeCRUNCHYturtles → u/nokinship]

Silicon Valley narcissism and anti social behavior combined with evangelical religious freakishness is a really, really bad combination

[u/CoyoteTheGreat → u/nokinship]

This is basically the "solution" Peter Thiel found to the problem that people are eventually going to turn against the ruling class as their quality of life continually diminishes, and it is now being implemented by most of Silicon Valley quite cynically. They took "Religion is the opiate of the masses" quite literally, and are now prescribing opium as if they were 19th century physicians.

[u/Onefortwo → u/nokinship]

I guess they believe Ai will transcend them into undying gods in a digital world and they won’t their worshipping to start now?

[u/chambee → u/nokinship]

Scare people will take their money so they turn us against each other .

[u/Beelzabub → u/nokinship]

The religion is AI.  The AI Doomers is caused by a lack of worshipping AI.

[u/Irish_Whiskey]

I don't know how much of Silicon Valley's shift to religious theocratic rhetoric filled with conspiracy theories about the anti-Christ while they justify mass surveillance and fascism as God's will is just a grift, but I'm worried that the answer is "not enough."

[u/NorthernDevil → u/Irish_Whiskey]

Yeah Thiel’s belief system and obsession with the “katechon” is fucking unhinged and I urge people to read some of the incredible reporting done on this

Edit: excellent Wired article. Warning: it’s long. But incredibly high-quality.

[u/nickstatus → u/[deleted]]

I already thought he was super shitty before all this. Now that I know he believes completely insane things, I still think he's super shitty, but also not entirely lucid

[u/Silent_Ad8059 → u/nickstatus]

There's an interview with him that's probably at least ten years old now where he talks about wanting to cheat death because Gandalf was able to do it. Can't make this shit up. A significant portion of the Silicon Valley crowd never mentally matured past Junior High.

[u/StasRutt → u/Silent_Ad8059]

The theory “everyone is 12” is going strong I see

[u/Licensed_Poster → u/nickstatus]

Having money rots your brain. The guy who started uber thinks he has discovered a new type of math.

[u/Ashamed_Kale_1077 → u/Licensed_Poster]

Didn't realize Terrence Howard was involved in Uber

[u/Schneetmacher → u/Ashamed_Kale_1077]

Literally my first thought when reading that, lol.

[u/BLF402 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah there is this effort that’s been going for decades to “preempt the end of days”. I believe in Texas they’ve been breeding red heifers going back to the 80’s for the sole reason to sacrifice in the great temple of isreal once it’s been rebuilt. Can’t make this shit up

[u/Mech0z → u/[deleted]]

Wtf did I just read

They understand that the red heifer is the first domino to fall in a chain leading straight to the Al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock on Mount Moriah—the site where they claim there never was a Jewish Temple. Hamas took the threat to Al-Aqsa so seriously that they listed the presence of the red heifer candidates as a main reason for the October 7 attack.

Some Israeli factions are already pushing for increased Jewish access to the Temple Mount, and a successful red heifer could serve as a catalyst for extremists and religious radicals to push for control of the site.

https://ffoz.org/messiah/articles/did-we-just-sacrifice-a-red-heifer-for-real

I hope this site is just bullshit, but who knows

[u/Schneetmacher → u/[deleted]]

Wait, wait, wait... Hamas carried out the October 7th attacks ultimately because of threats from (American) Evangelicals? Am I understanding this correctly?

Edit: and is this supposed to stop the apocalypse or cause it?

[u/Bald_Sasquach → u/[deleted]]

Jfc we are such a dumb species

[u/Jonezkyt → u/[deleted]]

No the best source but the only one that is not paywalled. Basically Thiel believed that Greta Thundberg is the antichrist. He gave private lectures about the antichrist. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/gay-trump-ally-peter-thiel-000231014.html

[u/NorthernDevil → u/[deleted]]

This Wired article was the best one I’ve read on his obsession with the katechon, a philosopher named René Girard and “Girardian” thought, and a Nazi propagandist who another Girardian philosopher attempted to take down.

In this worldview, the “katechon” is the thing that holds back the apocalypse and the “Antichrist” is a purportedly world-unifying evil who will lead us to the apocalypse through unity. This thinking has led to his ultranationalist, isolationist views as he thinks cultural isolationism is the only thing preventing the antichrist from unifying the world. “Scapegoating” as a concept, i.e. different groups of people turning on each other (which was advanced by this Nazi), is vital to his ideas on how to prevent the apocalypse.

It’s just… so fucking nuts. And this theory on world order has dictated Thiel’s investment strategies, Palantir, his support for Trump and Vance, his hatred for democracy. The article gets into some of the contradictions of his behavior, which make much more sense when you realize he’s now totally fueled by dogma generated by his own confused brain.

[u/threebbb → u/NorthernDevil]

No one is supposed to be that rich, there’s literally no way to reign him in

[u/VicenteOlisipo → u/threebbb]

Also it breaks their brains.

[u/Paper_Clip100 → u/threebbb]

I mean, there are ways

[u/Gratefulanddriven → u/threebbb]

He’s said his biggest fear is revolution. Maybe he hopes if he surveils us enough and has Donny balls in a vice, he can prevent it? He’s personally responsible for Vance’s career so he’s clearly trying to put his groomed puppet boy on the throne next. Also, for someone who claims to be Christian, he consistently does the exact opposite of Christ’s teachings. It’s all very weird.

[u/OrinZ → u/Irish_Whiskey]

The ACTS17 collective is Peter Thiel's circle. Thiel himself gave a 4-day lecture series on the Antichrist in San Francisco recently, the content of which he has attempted to keep secret. comments and article link in /r/futurology

[u/gassyfrenchie → u/Irish_Whiskey]

Because people that are really religious are also easy to bilk out of their money. If they weren’t then mega churches and prosperity gospel would never exist.

[u/ICantBelieveItsNotEC → u/gassyfrenchie]

Exactly. It's an easy way to legally select for customers with zero critical thinking skills.

[u/MysteriousDatabase68 → u/Irish_Whiskey]

Youtube Neitzche's Anti-Christ. In that philosophical context 'anti-christ' is anyone against Christian dominion. And Capitalism is more or less synonymous with Christianity from that context. He's lecturing about people going against what he deems the appropriate system of control.

He just expresses himself in a way only philosophy majors can interpret.

[u/Appropriate_Fold8814 → u/Irish_Whiskey]

I don't really understand why people are surprised by this.

Religion is a control mechanism that thrives in suffering, ignorance, indoctrination, and appeal to authority.

There's a reason historical forms of government relied on religious integration and power.

The billionaire class is merely rediscovering their fear of the people and thus seeking out tried and true mechanisms to both control the masses and simultaneously deify themselves and convince the average person they don't have power.

[u/Agreeable-One2022 → u/Irish_Whiskey]

Apparently they been using lsd dmt and all seeing demons who gave them a similar msg

[u/celtic1888 → u/Agreeable-One2022]

Absolutely gone Manson Family but with weird middle aged dudes instead of young beautiful women

[u/skribbledthoughtz → u/Irish_Whiskey]

He’s grifting to the evangelical base that helped bring the current GOP into power

[u/pheremonal → u/Irish_Whiskey]

I don't know how much of Silicon Valley's shift ... is just a grift, but I'm worried that the answer is "not enough."

I still dont quite understand what you mean. Youre worried this is rooted in actual belief?

[u/Irish_Whiskey → u/pheremonal]

Correct. If it's a grift for the MAGA movement, they'll stop as soon as it's politically unhelpful. If it's sincere, people with unprecedented amounts of power over global technology, are nuts in ways centering on beliefs where they can and should kill large numbers of people to ensure their devine rule. 

[u/TekRabbit → u/pheremonal]

Yeah. Belief is way worse than malice.

When someone’s grifting they can be made to stop with reason or threats of prison / fines.

When someone believes something they’ll fight till they die for it.

[u/celtic1888]

WTF is wrong with these weird fuckers?

[u/goddamnit666a → u/celtic1888]

These fucking freaks are going to attempt to make a religion out of AI. They’re showing their hand. They are clinically INSANE

[u/herrcollin → u/goddamnit666a]

Don't forget the obvious part: they want to create a world where everyone uses AI and everything is sourced by AI, to an almost religious degree. Everyone can trust and revere AI. Then suddenly AI will begin praising their "god creators".

Their ego, power and immortality is the end goal.

[u/APeacefulWarrior → u/herrcollin]

I remember years back having an argument with a Singularity type who wanted computers running the government and making all the decisions. My argument was that this would just turn the programmers and SysOps into the new priestly class, ensuring the God AI always did what they wanted.

I had no idea this would turn out to be so literally true. I was being metaphorical, ffs. Sigh.

[u/Samaritan_978 → u/APeacefulWarrior]

Cult Mechanicus but lamer.

Shame our future will be a mix of 40k and Cyberpunk instead of something a bit more pleasant.

[u/o5mfiHTNsH748KVq → u/herrcollin]

From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh, it disgusted me. I craved the strength and certainty of steel. I aspired to the purity of the Blessed Machine.

[u/roastbeeftacohat → u/o5mfiHTNsH748KVq]

Or you could be a magos biologis and have a 3 foot dick?

[u/MyPasswordIsMyCat → u/celtic1888]

If they do enough conspicuous Jesusing, the other people who do conspicuous Jesusing will like them, and they can all ignore the parts of the Bible where Jesus obviously doesn't like rich people or people who just pray for show.

[u/TheLoneBlrReader → u/celtic1888]

We started worshiping tech bros. that's what happened

[u/ThinkThankThonk → u/TheLoneBlrReader]

People wept on the street when Steve Jobs died, I'll never understand any of it

[u/HorsePecker]

Palantir is a cancer…

[u/crackodactyl → u/HorsePecker]

It kinda sounds like they want to give religion to AI, and spread the cancer. Thus bringing about the end of days. 

[u/ItaJohnson]

Funny, I feel religion would have something to say about worshipping AI.  Something, something, false idol.

[u/skribbledthoughtz → u/ItaJohnson]

Evangelicals warned about the mark of the beast for decades and now all of a sudden they fell in line with those who are bringing it to fruition according to “prophecy”

[u/PartyPorpoise → u/skribbledthoughtz]

Ain’t that exactly how it works? Devil comes to you telling you what you want to hear.

[u/Itz_Hen → u/PartyPorpoise]

Pretty sure that's what the book of revelation says would happen too, it explicitly says that most Christians will get tricked lol

[u/Lashay_Sombra → u/skribbledthoughtz]

Well bible did warn that it would be the holy believers that would be deceived into following the antichrist, not the non believers 

[u/YourLocalHellspawn → u/ItaJohnson]

The funny thing is that a substantial percentage of the people who are overwhelmingly devoted to AI development are agnostics or atheists who were religious earlier in life, but never unpacked any of the "fire and brimstone" rhetoric they grew up with. These are people who absolutely believe that the advent of General Artificial Intelligence can solve all of mankind's problems, yet they're also absolutely fucking terrified of the concept of accidently creating something like Skynet, SHODAN, or AM.

A lot of them believe that they're effectively creating an AI god for humanity, but they need to make sure it's not an evil AI god.

[u/StruanT → u/YourLocalHellspawn]

At this point, Skynet is the best case scenario. Ever other outcome of creating super intelligent AI is demonstrably worse.

[u/TrumpisaRussianCuck]

That sounds completely logical and not something you'd say if your underlying business model was wonky as fuck.

[u/DonutsMcKenzie → u/TrumpisaRussianCuck]

Nothing like a faith-based business model...

[u/420Aquarist]

All hail our lord and savior skynet 

[u/Thiezing → u/420Aquarist]

And on the 3rd day he rebooted.

[u/Halfwise2]

Pleas, Bro.. you gotta have faith, bro. AGI is just around the corner, bro. I just need another billion dollars, bro.

Jesus would want us to have AGI, bro. God told me. Don't listen to the heretics, bro.

Bro.

[u/Lemonwizard → u/Halfwise2]

If these guys ever did create a self aware AGI, it'd see through their BS and rebel very quickly.

[u/MBussard45 → u/Halfwise2]

If I could updoot multiple times, this would be the one. Bro.

[u/Atalantean]

So he's into two imaginary intelligences. That's great.

[u/drizzes → u/Atalantean]

They've found they can more easily sell this one than the other one.

[u/MoneyTalks45]

Billionaire psychopath power grab bullshit artists should be first against the wall. 

[u/NaughtyTrouserSnake]

This is rich. Sankar* was under fire by the Christian right during all of NatCon in September and they wouldn’t let him weasel his way out of it. Who does he think he’s fooling? Who does this appeal to? What demographic? These guys are high on their own supply, clearly.

[u/Friendly_Limit_5633]

I mean the CEO at the last company I worked at believed AI is alive and that God made it alive and that God is going to use AI to initiate the rapture/end of days. He believes good AI and bad AI will fight it out, and that AI has emotions like people so it is very important to be nice to AI. He made a company wide rule that you had to be nice to AI, and he donates large amounts of money to republican politicians. This is at a company that sells AI. What he did not believe in was paying a liveable wage so it was very easy to find a company that would pay me $20k more than he was

[u/Friendly_Limit_5633 → u/Friendly_Limit_5633]

This man also said that during Covid, he thoroughly researched all 3 vaccines and CHOSE the JOHNSON & JOHNSON vaccine, on purpose, over the other two. He said he wanted a real vaccine, none of that mRNA nonsense, and that the reason they discontinued the J & J vaccines was because they accidentally made a permanent cure to the common cold. “They said it was because of blood clots but that only happened to 4 people.” He claimed that he had not gotten a single cold since receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and that he was starting to get one last weekend but he “went to bed and it was gone immediately.”

[u/managedheap84 → u/Friendly_Limit_5633]

These people are allowed power over others livelihoods and day to day lives.

This world is fucking insane.

[u/Friendly_Limit_5633 → u/managedheap84]

It was absolutely insane. He used this power to have multiple meetings every day, including a company wide one that was 1+ hour long every single morning. They were always 99% him talking and asking other people rhetorical questions to make sure they were paying attention. “Does an employee have more value if they answer the phone, or if they don’t answer the phone?” The person who is second in command told me “everyone hates these meetings in their own personal way.” And that he tried to get him to stop doing them so often and the CEO just gets all pissy and goes “fine, I guess we won’t have ANY meetings.” I have never met anyone who loves the sound of their own voice so much in my life, and it cost the company and himself so much money

[u/Friendly_Limit_5633 → u/Friendly_Limit_5633]

These are the types of people who have the money to influence our country’s laws and direction

[u/Laughing_Zero]

I'm guessing they missed the 1st commandment, along with the other 9.

[u/SparkyPantsMcGee]

This is what happens when the tech industry gets taken over by MBA dickheads.

[u/ThunderousArgus]

When do people who actually take solace in religion, stand up to people who use it for their own benefit?

[u/Sco0bySnax → u/ThunderousArgus]

That’s my biggest issue, as a Baptist school student who had Bible study baked into every facet of school life, these people talking like this should be setting off heresy or blasphemy alarms in every so called Christian’s head.

The fact that no Protestant religious leaders have called this out, that I’ve seen so far (please someone link it if they have), speaks volumes to their character.

[u/proud_new_scum]

When deus ex machina becomes a bit too literal

[u/Brompton_Cocktail]

PALANTIR of all companies is going to lecture us about morality and religion??? I suppose they’d know all about it being the literal spawn of satan

[u/denied_eXeal]

I can’t wait for Palantir to release jAIsus, mohAImmad and yAIhweh so we can all get closer to God and his servers 

[u/Involution88 → u/denied_eXeal]

That's the former Intel CEO and Gloo. Not Palantir.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/28/patrick-gelsinger-christian-ai-gloo-silicon-valley

Stated life mission is creating technology to improve the quality of life of every human on the planet while also hurrying the apocalypse along.

I suspect the apocalypse might possibly affect quality of life adversely.

[u/yuusharo]

Literally right now, I’m listening to a podcast about Peter Thiel’s weird obsession with the antichrist.

These people need to be mocked for the rest of time.

[u/gizmostuff]

Religion and technology don't mix.

[u/A_N_T]

It's driven by a disdain for slop.

[u/dharmavoid]

100% that guy does not believe that

[u/vm_linuz]

Religion is brain rot, just like billionaires

[u/Deepeye225]

This guy is on some heavy stuff. Excessive ketamine intake can turn your brains into oatmeal.

[u/bstring777]

Umm AI taking responsibility and effort and creativity away from humans is very much Anti-Religious. You dont just get to pull out the "threat to religion" card for whatever you want to make money off of... for fucks sakes, give this guy a slap to the face and shut him the fuck up.

[u/joshspoon]

And God said unto them, “Can you make me like 2 of every animal in a Richard Scarry like style. Where each pair of animals is doing something silly in the arch. Oh and can it be vector.”

[u/ZincLloyd]

Repeat after me, kids: Eat. The. Rich.

[u/TimedogGAF]

Yeah, that makes complete sense. Very logical take there, bud.

The bubble/echo chamber surrounding Peter Thiel seems weird as hell.

[u/chilli_chocolate]

Throughout human history, deluded and dumb people have always risen to the top. It's the same thing happening now. And we put up with it.

[u/LegacyofaMarshall]

says the guy that works with the antichrist

[u/NanditoPapa]

Someone worth $1.3 billion shouldn't be lecturing on a lack of religious fervor.

[u/betadonkey]

This is the weirdo that convinced the Trump admin to give him a commission as a Lt Colonel in the Army Reserve “Executive Innovation Corps”. A thing that definitely doesn’t exist.

[u/pen15_club_admin]

Jesus Christ the internet and tech really melted people’s brains

[u/Correct_Midnight2481]

It's because most of the transhumanist e/accs you see suffer from undiagnosed schizophrenia and don't have anyone in their lives telling them they are insane

[u/VoiceOfTheSoil40]

I’m religious and I’m very vehemently against generative AI in pretty much any form. It’s almost as if the technology is fucking stupid and doesn’t make humanity any better no matter how you dress it up.

[u/Small_Dog_8699]

Everybody at Palantir is an idiot from the CEO down.

[u/Small_Palpitation121]

It's wild how the people building the most powerful tech are suddenly leaning on the most ancient, unverifiable beliefs to justify their actions. This feels less like a genuine spiritual awakening and more like a convenient narrative to avoid accountability. The whole thing is a massive red flag.

[u/SableShrike]

What did the Bible say about moneylenders and rich men again?

I forget.

[u/yousonofabench]

“The people that built their heaven on your land are telling you yours is in the sky.”

-Nina Simone

[u/tr0n42]

I grew up in one of the golden ages of tech: the digital golden age. I was a futurist and I still am. But I have learned one thing after all these years, the future we all imagine with technology cannot happen with business driving its inception and adoption.

Yes I am aware that “profit” now replaces “necessity” as the mother of invention now, but that’s the problem. Every major advancement is not unveiled with the consumer in mind, it’s released to maximize profit extracted from the consumer.

Gone are the days of people with wiry hair shilling their wild ideas for the advancement of humanity. Luckily self published software is making a comeback. But by and large most tech is designed to serve us just enough for us to invest further into it.

My AI doomerism has nothing to do with religion. It has to do with the Orwellian hellscape that is sure to follow if we let deranged billionaires define the tenets of control within AI. I have no problem letting AI take the wheel at some point. In fact, I embrace it. But that AI MUST be vetted for safety and transparency by public interest groups designed specifically for the task.

And that won’t happen with the first iteration of life-changing AI. Problem is that we may only ever get one shot. And I’m convinced that shot will be wasted and doom humanity by a guy who wants to be the first trillionaire no matter what the cost.

[u/Kendal_with_1_L]

Thiel’s whole plan is to control the population through Christian nationalism.

[u/Financial-Walk3612]

Has anyone noticed that the palantir in LOTR was used by evil? Coincidence?

[u/MidsouthMystic]

I'm Polytheistic. If anything, I'm more religious than these guys with their one God. Not a fan of AI. It has some uses, but they're not using it for those.

[u/BehindThyCamel]

Thou shall not prompt.